Li Shimin had heard of Yuan Tiangang. His intelligence network had always been extensive, his social circle broad, and his popularity excellent. Even a casual stroll outside could lead him to make friends with ruffians, wandering knights, or bandit chiefs, sharing food and drink, and blending right in.
Those people were willing to help him. Over the two years since the uprising, many had obediently joined his ranks, following his commands and curbing their previously troublemaking habits.
Sometimes, his information was even more accurate than that of Li Yuan or Li Jiancheng.
Yuan Tiangang was around thirty years old and had once served as a local official in Shu region during the Sui dynasty. Though his official rank was not high, his reputation far exceeded his position. Later, when he arrived in Luoyang, his fame soared even higher.
This man was renowned for his physiognomy, having read the faces of Du Yan (Du Ruhui’s uncle), Wang Gui (a subordinate of Li Jiancheng), Wei Ting (who was on good terms with Li Jiancheng), and Dou Gui (the younger brother of Li Shimin’s maternal grandfather), with every prediction proving accurate.
Although Li Shimin had never met Yuan Tiangang, he had long heard these extraordinary tales from more than one person, down to the details of their conversations at the time.
Well, that’s just how top-tier social butterflies are.
“Please show the guest to the main hall.” He placed the egg beside Changsun Wuyou’s pillow, gently stroked the eggshell, patted her hand, and whispered softly, “I’ll be back soon.”
“I’m fine. Ask more about the child.”
“Alright.” He agreed readily. As he reached the curtain, he couldn’t help but pause and glance back at her.
“Go on.” It was Changsun Wuyou who urged him this time.
Only then did Li Shimin go to meet the guest.
Yuan Tiangang had a striking appearance. Had he lived during the reigns of Qin Shi Huang or Emperor Wu of Han, he might well have charmed a princess into marriage. Even in death, people would likely believe he had ascended to immortality.
“I have long heard of Your Highness’s reputation. Seeing you today, you truly possess the aura of a Son of Heaven.”
With just one sentence, Yuan Tiangang stunned the young Li Shimin, startling him so much that his expression changed abruptly. He hurriedly rebuked, “Do not speak nonsense! I have an elder brother above me. How could I possess the aura of a Son of Heaven?”
Not to mention that Li Yuan had only just declared himself emperor, and the Great Tang was merely one among many warlords, not even holding a fifth of the territory. Even if the realm were unified now, as long as Li Jiancheng was alive, no outsider should ever say such a thing to Li Shimin.
If he did not refute it, it would be far too arrogant and disrespectful, showing no regard for Li Jiancheng.
Li Jiancheng was nine years older than him, having steadily progressed from heir to Crown Prince. Their brotherly bond was good, and by both sentiment and reason, Li Shimin could not allow Yuan Tiangang to act recklessly.
“I am not speaking recklessly. Anyone skilled in physiognomy can see that the Crown Prince lacks the destiny to rule. If Your Highness does not believe me, you may seek verification from other physiognomists in the future.” Yuan Tiangang aimed for a sensational effect and spoke unhurriedly, “Does Your Highness not wish to hear how to raise a Dragon?”
Fortunately, Li Shimin had already dismissed his attendants, or else every word would have felt like stepping on his blood pressure, making it hard to remain calm.
“…Please take a seat, Master.”
He was determined to hear what else this man had to say.
Yuan Tiangang was utterly at ease, almost as if he were about to take up a feather fan and strike an ethereal pose. He sat down but continued to stare intently at Li Shimin.
The intensity of his gaze seemed as though he wanted to see through Li Shimin’s exterior, directly perceiving his birth chart, destiny, fortune, three souls, and seven spirits.
Even Li Shimin, accustomed to being scrutinized, felt somewhat uncomfortable.
“You…”
He had just frowned when Yuan Tiangang suddenly covered his eyes, turning his head away in a flustered manner as if lime had been thrown in his face. His eyes were in excruciating pain, and his features twisted into a chrysanthemum-like grimace.
Li Shimin was filled with confusion. "What happened, sir?"
"N-nothing… my apologies… please do not take offense, Your Highness…"
"…" Are all fortune-tellers this mysteriously eccentric?
Yuan Tiangang continued to cover his eyes, his entire aura deflated, as meek and unassuming as a fresh green vegetable. He straightened up and said solemnly, "May I presume to ask, Your Highness, if the princess consort gave birth to a son today?"
Li Shimin's first thought was, Oh, so it's a boy.
He nodded with an air of profundity, though inwardly he thought, if an egg counts.
"This is a heavenly blessing, auspicious purple qi arriving from the east. I must congratulate Your Highness."
"Oh?" Li Shimin smiled slightly, pouring tea for him in a gentle tone. "I would like to hear the details."
"Your Highness should know that your son's destiny is of immense weight, noble beyond words. The Nine-Five is in the heavens, all fortunes converge into one, heaven and earth align in harmony, unstoppable in momentum…"
Li Shimin's hand paused slightly as he poured the tea, seriously considering whether to splash the hot tea in Yuan Tiangang's face to make his eyes hurt even more.
He could understand fortune-tellers' tendency to flatter, but not to this extent.
Listen to these words!
Having just rebelled against the Sui Dynasty, does he now have to rebel against his own family?
Calmly, he set down the teapot, waiting for Yuan Tiangang to finish his flowery speech before leisurely remarking, "You wouldn't be sent by Xue Ju to sow discord, would you?"
Xue Ju's sphere of influence bordered Longxi at that time, pressing toward Guanzhong, making him the Li family's greatest enemy.
Li Mi in the Central Plains, Dou Jiande in Hebei, Wang Shichong in Luoyang, Liu Wuzhou in the north (including Yanmen), Du Fuwei in Wu (the cowardly rats of Jiangdong), and Xiao Xian in the south (including Lingnan) were all farther away than Xue Ju, and they restrained each other, fighting like dogs, each with a mouthful of fur.
Yuan Tiangang's honest words were stuck in his throat. He gave an embarrassed smile but showed no sign of panic.
Good composure. Observing his expression, Li Shimin deduced that this man was not an enemy spy and did not fly into a rage.
"Your Highness will come to know in time that everything I said is true."
"Oh." Li Shimin made a perfunctory sound, asking only the question that concerned him most at the moment. "Regarding my son, do you know the inside story, sir?"
"Not exactly an inside story. The heavens are too vast and lofty for me to see or touch clearly. If I overstep even slightly, I will suffer for it." Yuan Tiangang smiled bitterly, still half-closing his eyes.
"Please enlighten me, sir." Li Shimin sat upright with utmost sincerity.
"I dare not." Yuan Tiangang had come precisely for this. "The young master was born prematurely out of compassion for the princess consort. However, He is still too young and cannot yet break out of the shell. Your Highness must wait patiently."
"How long must I wait?" Li Shimin asked. "We are but mortals, with a lifetime of only a hundred years. If He is a Dragon, will I live long enough to see it?"
"Yes." Yuan Tiangang affirmed. "He came for you."
"??" Question marks popped up one after another beside Li Shimin's head.
"And for this realm as well."
"." This, Li Shimin could understand better.
"Therefore, He will not make Your Highness wait too long." Yuan Tiangang declared with certainty.
Li Shimin was half-convinced but remained polite. "Then what should I do?"
"Before hatching, He needs to be nourished by the essence and blood of His parents…"
Li Shimin wasted no time, rolling up his sleeves and asking directly, "How much blood do you need?"
"No, no, no! Your Highness, please don’t move yet!" Yuan Tiangang hadn’t expected him to act so quickly, fearing that if he spoke even a moment too late, the other would already have taken action.
"Essence blood is the convergence of a person’s vital energy, such as tongue-tip blood, heart blood, or brow blood—it cannot be replaced by ordinary blood. Your Highness, please let me finish!"
As Yuan Tiangang gave his examples, Li Shimin quietly pressed his teeth against the tip of his tongue, then lowered his head to glance at his chest, still undecided on which part to choose. Before he could make up his mind, Yuan Tiangang across from him let out a sharp, panicked cry.
"I’m listening," Li Shimin said, straightening his expression like a cat that had just pushed a water cup halfway, calmly tucking his paws in as he looked at the other man.
Yuan Tiangang felt utterly exhausted, no longer in the mood to enjoy even the finest tea.
Even though he wasn’t technically a subordinate of the Prince of Qin, he couldn’t help but feel that having such a superior was an absolute headache.
"Please explain in detail, sir."
"Three days ago, I received a divine revelation in a dream. I saw an Azure Bird carrying a gift, which it placed in my hand. When I awoke, I truly found a brocade pouch in my grasp. The Azure Bird spoke in human language, entrusting me to deliver this item to Your Highness."
"Azure Bird?" Li Shimin instinctively imagined what the legendary creature might look like, then asked in confusion, "Why didn’t it deliver it to me directly instead of passing it through you?"
"That’s a long story…" Yuan Tiangang dragged out his words.
Li Shimin sensed his hesitation, but driven by curiosity, he pressed further, "Then take your time and tell me."
"Your Highness is nearing the age of twenty. Have you ever encountered immortals, demons, or spirits?"
"No."
"There is a reason for that, though I cannot fully explain it at the moment. I can only tell you that the Azure Bird cannot approach Your Highness directly, which is why it entrusted me to act as the intermediary."
"Hmm?" Li Shimin was a bit confused.
Yuan Tiangang did not elaborate further and instead took out the gift. Inside the unremarkable brocade pouch lay a needle with a subdued divine glow.
Li Shimin examined it for a moment. "It’s neither gold nor silver, neither wood nor jade, neither copper nor iron. It seems more like stone."
"Your Highness has a keen eye. The Azure Bird said this was crafted from spiritual stone on Flower Fruit Mountain, a treasure of heaven and earth with unique spiritual resonance. It is most suitable for channeling meridians, gathering essence, and drawing essence blood to nourish the young master without harming Your Highness."
"Please wait a moment, sir." Li Shimin politely excused himself, then swept like a whirlwind to Changsun Wuyou’s side, taking the egg from its swaddling clothes.
"I’ll be back soon," he added.
Father and son returned to sit across from Yuan Tiangang. Li Shimin asked eagerly, "Where should this needle be inserted? The heart?"
"No, no, fingertip blood will suffice. The ten fingers are connected to the heart—this needle will draw heart blood from there."
Yuan Tiangang kept glancing furtively at the egg, as if it might blind him with its brilliance.
Li Shimin paid him no mind, focusing intently as he inserted the stone needle into his index finger. Before he even felt any pain, a drop of bright red blood drifted down.
It fell precisely onto the eggshell, miraculously seeping in without leaving a trace.
As soon as the needle was removed, the bleeding stopped, and the tiny wound on his fingertip healed completely, leaving no sign behind.
"That’s enough, Your Highness."
"Is that little bit enough to eat?"
"The young master is still small."
"True. How many times a day should I feed him from now on? I’ve heard infants need to eat multiple times a day, day and night."
"Your Highness, this is heart blood—it is limited. Depleting essence blood causes significant harm to the body."
"It’s fine. I’m young and strong."
Someone, relying on their youth, was completely unconcerned.
Yuan Tiangang was speechless, but since the task was successfully completed, he smiled and said, "Once a month is enough. If possible, please choose the fifteenth night of the lunar month, when the moonlight is full and the mystical energy is pure."
"I'll remember that."
"The young master is no ordinary being, born prematurely into this world. For him, everything around is filled with impure energy, making him quite unsettled. I ask Your Highness to take care and keep the young master by your side often, to calm his spirit and stabilize his soul, so he may break out of his shell as soon as possible."
Li Shimin committed every word to memory, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.
Finally understanding how to care for the child, he tucked both the egg and the needle into his robes and asked a question that would determine the future of the Li Tang dynasty.
"Will gods, buddhas, demons, and monsters interfere in the struggle among the heroes?"
Author's Note: